By Alara Aygen – UCLA chapter member
On May 15 Dialogue Society at UCLA held its second art tutorial workshop. As someone who has enjoyed drawing since I was a little girl, these workshops hold a special place in my heart. I distinctly remember giggling in delight as I used to unwrap my grandfather’s most frequent gift choice of crayon sets and start drawing right away. Those days are fond memories now and that makes me deeply value the new sincere memories we create with our senior participants during these workshops. Furthermore, the passion of our members during the first art tutorial had inspired me to start drawing again after a lengthy hiatus period. Hence, I was enthusiastically looking forward to this event, and our members exceeded our expectations once again.
“I love to draw because it’s a way for me to express my creative side, which I don’t really have the opportunity to do as a science major. Drawing also allows me to relax and take my mind off of school and other extracurriculars that I am involved in.” – Labiba Sardar
Pablo Picasso has once said, “art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”. I find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with that statement. There is something special about losing myself in colors and lines during these events while I listen to the light and heartfelt dialogues between our members and our senior participants. The candid chatter blends with the soft strokes of pencils, and the event transforms the simple activity of drawing into something way more significant: a shared experience where everyone learns from one another in a creative and comfortable atmosphere.
“Nature has always been an integral part of my life. As a kid, I remember taking pictures of different leaves and flowers and later drawing them. Over time, creating art has become an escape or a coping mechanism, and I’m happy to teach others during our art tutorial events with Dialogue Society.” – Karina Agadzhanyan
We wrapped the successful event with a beautiful violin performance by one of our talented members: Nandhini. These short musical performances at the end of each session are becoming immensely popular among our senior participants, a sentiment I genuinely agree with.
“I like drawing because it helps keep me in the present moment and I like to be able to create new things.” – Misa Belser
I am confident that I echo what all our members feel when I say I cannot wait for more creative events and delightful musical performances which we can share with our wonderful audience!